Bridge of Encounter and Understanding - Improving technical skills and intercultural competences through a practical building project

Topic(s) addressed

• Collaboration between disadvantaged youth from two partner schools

• Inclusive, integrated and sustainable partnerships

• Creating an architectural design representing cooperation, science and Europe

Target groups

• 6 participants with fewer opportunities

• Students (IT students, language students, refugees) from different departments of MES and IES Pavón 

Methodologies

• Engaging young people with learning difficulties in a highly motivating practical project. 

• Applying an integrated multidisciplinary approach: linking maths, science, social science, arts, languages, and history in one practical project

• Facilitating peer learning (students becoming experts in using their tools)

• Producing eTwinning videos with the help of Spanish students (developing language skills, cultural awareness)

Environments

• Extensive use of available school spaces in a cross-department approach

• Involving students from other sectors of the school community

• Going abroad to improve language skills and cultural awareness

• Visit in a daycare centre for people with special needs to research possibilities for a project there

Teachers

• The teachers sought to expand the offer of international programs to an increasing number of learners with special needs (socially disadvantaged groups, migrants and refugees)

• The project allowed teachers to cooperate in a new way across borders and rethink traditional ways of teaching, 

• Technical instructors learned languages, language teachers developed technical skills and, instead of teaching isolated subjects, teachers focused on how they could contribute to the project in their area of expertise.

Impact

• This project has had a major impact on our wider school community. 

• We have expanded Erasmus activities to higher VET training and grammar school departments.

• We are now sending instructors for training and job shadowing across the European continent.

• We are increasingly implementing Erasmus objectives such as European Bauhaus, sustainability, and inclusion. 

• We are exchanging our experience with schools around Europe while developing an urban farming project on our premises. 

• Through this project, we have also gained new institutional partners (the centre for people with special needs)